Mistakes
by WildHorseFantasy
Summary: Mistakes happen. Neal and Peter fall out - again. How will they make up? And will they catch the criminal that got away?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own White Collar, I just like to play with it. I make no money off it.**

**This one has been sitting half finished for awhile. Our favorite guys fall out often enough I though I'd put one out there based on it..**.

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Neal collapsed on his bed with a groan. It had been one of those days he'd be relieved to forget. The deal had gone wrong, the suspect got away and Peter and he had argued.

Peter had said things about how he'd end up back in prison if he didn't wise up. He's growled about Peter blaming him for things beyond his control and that if it bothered to him to work with a guy with a past than why keep him?  
He was cleaned up, exhausted ready for the comfort of the bed and sleep. Yet hours later he tossed and turned. Finally he got up, pulled on a t-shirt and sweatpants and started painting. He quit that when he realized he was making a mess and it wasn't coming out right. He dropped his supplies in frustration, sitting on the chair and knocking and bottle off the table with a thunk. He was too distracted. He rose again and paced. He was stunned, then winced at the knock on the door. He cracked it open, to see June's worried face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be noisy."

She smiled. "May I come in?"

It was her house. Neal motioned her in the door and followed her to the table. She was dressed in a nice robe, which she gathered around herself. "I just couldn't sleep. Can I get you anything."

"So I gathered. You looked very agitated when you came home. And no, thank you." She studied him softly. "Friends do fight you know. The people you can hurt most are the ones you love. A stranger wouldn't care so much."

Neal's eyes widened. His mouth opened but he hesitated. "Who do you think I fought with?"

"Peter. There aren't many that I know of that would keep you awake this late."

"It's so stupid." Neal sat with a groan. "I do trust him. I know he trusts me...and yet..."

"And yet you don't quite. You fight. You blame each other and accuse. It's not just because your so different."

"It's not?"

"No. Think Byron and I never fought? Or that I never disagreed with his friends? But in the end, words that hurt...well, we didn't mean it at least not the way it came out. And we both knew that too. It's part of caring about someone."

Neal looked at her, hand on his chin. "Some conman I am. Can't even con my landlady..." His voice was rueful.

She smiled. "You wouldn't want to and you know it. You need people who know you better than that."

"He risked his career to bring me back. He's been threatened by my enemies." Neal stroked the table, rubbing at a paint streak. He'd gotten it on his t-shirt and it rubbed off on the table when he'd leaned forward.

"What did he blame you for?"

Neal flushed, thinking back to the fight.

_"You'd have gotten him if you weren't ogling that antique jewelery."_

_"I wasn't ogling, I was admiring."_

_"When you were undercover! Where is it?"_

_Neal handed it over. "I was just looking at it. I'm trying to place it. It's...unusual..." He continued to ponder._

_"It's evidence."_

_"I wasn't going to keep it!"_

_Peter stared at him. "Weren't you?"_

Neal slid his eyes half shut. He had considered it. It was a small piece, a rearing horse with gemstone eyes in silver and gold. But he really had not decided to keep it. In fact, he'd merely been admiring it and let himself get distracted. In that moment, his target had pulled a switch on him. He'd switched the stolen jewels Neal had authenticated and purchased for fakes. They man was already out on bail and would probably be long gone before they could prove anything.

Neal didn't say anything bu this eyes shifted away, lips tight. Peter didn't know any of that, he'd only suspected. Neal had still been holding the piece when they'd burst in. He'd almost forgotten about it in the shock of the moment when he'd realized the gems they were collecting were not the ones he'd identified. And the originals were nowhere in sight. They'd turned the place upside down looking and found nothing.

Neal sighed. "I might've...let myself get distracted." He allowed. "But I was surprised at his reaction."

June studied him thoughtfully. "I've known a lot of parole officers and authority figures, Neal. I know Peter is one of the good ones. The best I've known, in fact."

Neal nodded slightly.

"But even they have a bad day. And it might have nothing to do with you."

Neal looked up startled, thinking. He'd not seen anything off about Peter today, but...he thought back trying to remember. He'd been late, car trouble, he said, and Satchmo had been hurt somehow. Elizabeth had cancelled lunch with him. He'd been working on paperwork all day as far as Neal could tell, up until the operation started at seven in the evening.

"I don't remember noticing anything big..." He said slowly.

"It doesn't have to be big. A lot of smalls add up to big. And are you mad at him or yourself?"

Neal just looked at her.

She stood, squeezing hs shoulder gently. "I don't need to know. I just think you do. And there is an old Proverb about not letting the sun go down on anger. Maybe whoever wrote that knew just how hard to sleep it is like that. I wouldn't be surprised if Peter was awake right now too."


	2. Chapter 2

Peter Burke was staring at the ceiling, listening to sounds of his sleeping wife. Or he thought she was sleeping, until he tried turning on his side with a sigh.

"Peter, what's wrong?"

"Am I keeping you up"

"I asked first." She said rubbing his shoulder.

He sat up on the bed and sighed again. "Bad day, bad bust, and I had an argument."

"With Neal."

He looked at her. "Am I that predictable?"

"Go talk to him."

"It's the middle of the night."

"He'll be awake."

Peter doubted it, but to appease Elizabeth or at least avoid keeping her awake, he got up and dressed. He pulled the front door open and froze. Neal was standing there, hand right by the door bell, looking equally startled.

"Hi." Neal blinked, coming out of his surprise. "Where are you going?" he looked Peter up and down, noting he was fully dressed.

"What are you doing here this late?"

"I asked first."

Peter flung his hands in the air. "I couldn't sleep and I've been keeping El awake. So I figured I better go out..."

Neal looked at him uncertainly. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah..." Peter sighed. He pulled his jacket off and went back to the couch.

Neal's eyes were roving around the room, more for somewhere to look besides at Peter. They sat in awkward silence for a moment. Neal's eyes fell on the 'prom' picture. He remembered when Elizabeth had taken it, right before they went after the mobster who had it in for Mozzie. He sighed. "I couldn't sleep either." He shifted awkwardly. "I accidentally woke June up."

Peter finally spoke first. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I had a bad day."

"I gathered..." Neal finally said. Satchmo had awakened and came up and nuzzled Neal. Neal blinked at the cone on the dog's head and noticed the stitches on one leg. He gave the dog a pat, eyes half shut. He'd inquire into the injury later. "You weren't wrong though. I got distracted. I know I authenticated those jewels. But somehow he switched them out on me." He shook his head.

"Just because you like shiny objects doesn't mean you were going to take it." Peter studied him.  
"Let's just say temptation hadn't quite overwhelmed me." Neal said softly. "But it did distract me."

Neal blinked sleepily. He had dark circles under his eyes and Peter knew he didn't look any better.

"You authenticated, but we didn't find the real ones anywhere. And no-one got in and out without our seeing."

"You hope."

Peter glared.

"Remember the hidden door and the pink diamond the first time I was framed?"

"Yeah, but we did check for that this time."

"Then they have to still be there."

"We turned that place inside out."

Neal was silent, scratching the dog. "It does feels lousy to be conned, doesn't it?"

Peter's eyes widened. "You admitting you were tricked? The jewels were fake?"

Neal snorted. "No, the jewels were real. But this guy is good. He planned this and it's not because he made me as a CI. No, I think he took those jewels and had a hiding place he knew we'd never think to look."

"Where might that be? I guarantee you he didn't swallow them."

"Not unless he wants his belly sliced open inside out by diamond," Neal winced at the thought. "You didn't literally take the place apart."

"Are you saying we'd have too?"

Neal shrugged. "Maybe we should look again without our...argument...distracting us both."

"It didn't distract the others."

Neal gave him a weary smile. "But they aren't the clever creative duo of Burke and Caffrey."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." But Peter smiled back. Then yawned.

"Don't do that, it's contagious." Neal slid his eyes half shut and suddenly he was sound asleep.

Elizabeth came down the stairs at daybreak and paused as she took in the living room. Neal was sprawled in a chair, head to the side. Satchmo looked up at her from his feet, eyes sad in the protective cone. Peter was sound asleep on the couch. She smiled, patted Satchmo and headed for the kitchen. She let Satchmo out, while she started the coffee.


	3. Chapter 3

Peter woke first to the smell of coffee. He sat up, wincing as he looked around. Neal was still sound asleep in the chair. He shook his head, looked down at his jeans and t-shirt and went to the dining room.

El smiled at him as she looked up at him from her cereal. "I guess he beat you to the punch."

"He was right there when I opened the door to leave, ready to knock." Peter sat down then looked at the time and jumped back up. "We're going to be late. Why didn't you wake me?"

"You needed the sleep. You both did."

Peter sighed, looking back at Neal. "Yeah. I'll let him be while I change."

Neal was confused to feel someone shaking him. He jerked up, criminal senses flaring. Where was he?

"Relax, it's just me. Want some breakfast?"

Neal blinked and looked at Peter, licked his lips as he tried to come back from whatever dream he'd been having.

"Yeah, me too." Peter said, noting the disorientation. "I fell asleep on the couch. C'mon. We need to check out that office again."

It was a few hours before they got to the office of the take down. Fortunately the bad guy hadn't gone near it since his release.

"He's probably thinking we're tailing him." Neal said.

"He's right. We are."

Neal stopped in the office, turning slowly. He went back to where he was when things went south. "Okay, I was here. He never was out of view even when I was distracted."

"Well no dirt was moved so it's not in the indoor tree there."

Neal studied the painting behind the desk, then walked around the desk, studying it carefully. He tossed his hat on it. It was solid wood, sitting on a thick plush patterned carpet. The chair was leather with rollers. He felt the chair over carefully and found no seams or breaks. He sat in it and stared at the desk. "It has to be...some thing he would be able to do easily and inconspicuously from here.

Peter looked the desk over. No panels on the top or sides. He tapped it searching side drawers while Neal explored the main, center one on the ones on the other side. Neal shifted slightly and kicked lightly at the underside of the desk. His foot came to the ground again and he cocked his head. "Did you hear that?"

"What?"

Neal tapped his heel, hard, on the ground under the desk and it let out a thump. Catching on, Peter tapped it to the side. He got a more solid thunk. They looked at each other. That was a different sound. Neal shoved back the chair and started feeling the rug under the desk. Peter picked up a desktop lamp and switched it on, adding to the overheads. He held it down by the opening. Neal froze, hands running along the black square pattern markings. He glanced back at Peter and smiled.

"Got something?"

Neal peeled up the carpet from the pattern in the back. "All he'd need to do is drag his heel..."

A light panel was underneath. It slid back easily and Neal pulled out a box identical to the one the suspect had given him. He put it on the desk and opened it. He and Peter exchanged a grin. Neal picked up a gem carefully and looked at it carefully. "Yeah. This is them."

Peter patted his shoulder and Neal put it back in the box. Peter dropped it in an evidence bag and into his pocket.

"We do better when we aren't arguing."

"We do." Peter smiled.

"So what happened to Satchmo?" Neal asked.

Peter froze. "Ah, he got hurt."

Neal's attention focused on him with sudden interest as they headed for the car. "I know that much. The big cone on his head is hard to miss."

Peter stayed silent.

"Uh oh. What did you do?"

"It was an accident."

Neal just stared.

"If you must know, I was trying to figure out why a kitchen drawer was stuck. I yanked it out and all the utensils went flying and hit Satchmo."

"Ouch."

"Yeah."

"He didn't look upset."

"He's a dog. He's forgiving."

"He must be. I thought an anklet was bad. How much harder is it to forgive someone hurting you and sticking that cone thing on your head."

"The cone thing was the vets doing." Peter considered. "They don't make one for people. Too bad."

"Not funny."

Peter looked back at him. "Neither is being distracted on a case. If a cone would keep your eyes on the goal, I'd go for it."

"A little conspicuous for undercover, Peter."

"Yeah. But what if instead of a gem switch he pulled a gun?"

Neal grabbed his hat and pulled it back on. "I know."

"Know?"

"Know you yelled because you had a bad day, and you know if I mess up I end up back in prison or shot. I know."

Peter stared.

"I'm not a child."

"Are you sure? I swear that Peter Pan was a member of your family tree somewhere."

Neal smiled, a little sadly. "You said yourself, I need to be free to make my own mistakes."

"I didn't need to take my own bad day out on you. But I am responsible for you. And...well, I would prefer to keep my job and you both."

Neal looked back at him. "I wouldn't ask you to risk your job."

"You don't have to. Sometimes I have to or I couldn't live with myself. I am aware that if you do something stupid you often have a good reason."

"Thanks...I think..."

Peter glanced sideways at Neal as he drove back to the office. The problem was, Neal didn't know. He wanted to change and was changing. But for a confidence man, he had a distinct lack of confidence that he could break free of the criminal lifestyle. Someday he was going to find out more about Neal's past. Someday he would understand the challenge of Neal's childhood and the shock of learning about his father. Maybe then he could help Neal find a balance with Neal just being charming, creative Neal yet not crossing a line into things that would cost him his freedom.

"Let's go give our gem thief a surprise."  
"I bet he never sees us a coming."

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The End.


End file.
